An unlikely friendship between an elderly gentleman — a former professional baseball player with no family — and a young boy who dreams of playing in the major leagues (and meeting his father one day) is at the heart of upcoming musical “Together.”
When their paths collide, the friendship that forms is a magical one. It’s also a tale that mirrors real life right here in Denver, said Linda Holloway, co-founder of Bessie’s Hope, a local nonprofit that connects elderly residents of nursing homes with youth and their families.
The musical, which will run for the last two weekends of August at the Lakewood Cultural Center Theater, has a 26-member cast ranging from ages 9 through 88. Those familiar with Denver’s theater scene might recognize Peter Leeds, who was part of the original cast for “The Music Man,” and Carter Novinger, who has performed in over 20 local theatrical productions.
“One of the best parts about directing ‘Together’ is working with kids from ages 9 through 13 and seniors 70 through 88,” said Linda Suttle, the director of “Together.” “Itap very unusual for a director to have both groups in the same production, and itap been such a great experience to work with such completely different groups who are both so committed.”
Suttle said audience members should expect a lot of laughter and a few tears — she’s already cried during rehearsals because of the show’s touching story.
Holloway said the goal of the musical is to reflect how beautiful intergenerational relationships are. She said seniors built the communities we enjoy today, but they’re frequently looked down upon.
“In fact, they have so much to offer us younger generations, because they’ve lived through more changes than any of us will ever experience,” she said.
Holloway said her grandmother’s lonely experience in a Texas nursing home inspired Bessie’s Hope, originally named Rainbow Bridge. She began taking groups of children to nursing homes in Texas with her co-founder, Sharron Brandup, in 1989. Bessie’s Hope became a nonprofit in 1998, and Holloway and Brandup wrote an original musical to educate the Denver community on its work, “Rainbow Bridge,” which was produced in the summer of 1994.
Bessie’s Hope currently has several programs in place, besides forming connections between youth and seniors in nursing homes: families can adopt a senior; employees can complete community service through connecting with seniors; and nursing home residents can fulfill lifelong dreams (91-year-old Tom Grover, a paralyzed former fighter pilot, skied for the first time thanks to Bessie’s Hope).
Each volunteer receives communication training before stepping into a nursing home — something Holloway said is unique to the organization.
Today, Bessie’s Hope’s 3,000 volunteers work to develop ongoing relationships with 2,500 seniors of all cognitive levels — including those with Alzheimer’s — in the Denver metro area.
“People are so often forgotten because people think they’re ‘no longer there,’ ” Holloway said. “And while they do live in a different reality, they are very much there and they need as much compassion and human touch as anyone else.”
Holloway said she’s seen lives changed by these relationships. One senior in a nursing home told her that she lives for the days that the kids come because she has nothing else to look forward to.
“Thatap pretty powerful, the will to live based on the caring touch of these kids,” Holloway said.
On the other end of the spectrum, the seniors change kids’ lives by reaching out to them as they are, helping them realize that they don’t have to accept labels the world gives them. Holloway said many of their kids are from residential treatment centers, but they turn their lives around because of the relationships they form in nursing homes.
“ ‘Together’ is very significant to the ongoing of Bessie’s Hope. We need it to be a success financially, and with introducing more people to the fact that we are here, doing work that no one else is doing,” Holloway said.
“Mother Teresa once said the worst disease of all is loneliness and feeling like no one really cares, so Bessie’s Hope is trying to fill that void for a few thousand elders in our very own metro Denver.”
If you go
“TDzٳ” opens at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 19, with a gala and silent auction. Performances at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 20; 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 21; 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 26; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 27; and 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 28. Ticket prices are $22 for adults, $19 for seniors and students, $12 for children, $18 for groups of 10 or more and $100 for the opening night gala. Lakewood Cultural Center Theater at 470 S. Allison Parkway in Lakewood. To purchase tickets, call 303-987-7845 or order online at .
